


Luka And The Unicorn

by kdsburneraccount



Category: Men's Basketball RPF, Real Person Fiction, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, Gen, Shapeshifting, Unicorns, Weakly Enforced AUs, Wizard Luka Dončić
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26051989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kdsburneraccount/pseuds/kdsburneraccount
Summary: Luka Dončić is one of the most decorated mages in EuroLeague History.However, he is now a rookie sent to Dallas to play with the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, and a long season is ahead of him as they fight through the Western Conference.Along the way, he makes friends with his fellow mages and also encounters a unicorn in the woods with a mysterious past...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Draft Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically me rewriting Luka's entire career so far for plot so enjoy

Luka took a deep breath as the draft began. As someone in the room where Adam Silver was announcing the picks, he knew that he would be drafted somewhere in the top 3. He wasn't sure that Phoenix would choose him, but Sacramento seemed like were interested. Maybe if not them then Atlanta, but his agent had told him that Atlanta was going to trade whoever they picked to the Dallas Mavericks.

"With the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select- Deandre Ayton!"

_That makes sense,_ Luka thought. He had watched a little bit of film on some of the other top prospects and thought that Ayton's magic seemed strong. Maybe not extremely refined, but it had distinct energy. He would be a good pairing with Devin Booker, the only person on the Phoenix Suns who had as much pure magical energy.  
  
Luka watched as the big man walked up to the podium to shake hands with Adam Silver. He looked happy as the people around him were giving applause.

After a few minutes, the commissioner began again, coming out from backstage.  
  
"With the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select- Marvin Bagley III!"

Luka nodded, albeit a bit surprised. With all due respect to Bagley, Sacramento had talked to him a bit, and Luka almost expected to be picked by the Kings. Their general manager Vlade Divac knew his dad, and they had that EuroLeague connection.  
  
He thought Bagley was alright. Maybe not quite the same as Ayton's energy, but his magic was still fairly strong.

Luka took a deep breath as he watched Adam Silver go backstage to get the envelope for the Atlanta Hawks' pick. This was it. This was now or never.

For what seemed like an eternity, the commissioner finally spoke.

"With the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select- Luka Dončić!"

Luka nodded as he got up, his mom embracing him tightly and then kissing him on the cheek. Everything was a blur as various family members at the table congratulated him while he walked up to the podium. A little girl gave him a hat with the Atlanta Hawks logo on it, which he put on his head.

Adam Silver was standing at the podium and shook his hand with a cordial smile. 

"I wish you good luck in the future," the commissioner said near Luka's ear. 

"Thank you," Luka replied quietly, patting his back. As he posed with Adam Silver for pictures, Luka's thoughts were racing. So far, he knew that despite being drafted by the Hawks, Woj had released a statement that whoever was picked by the Atlanta Hawks would be traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the Dallas Mavericks' pick and a first-round pick for next year.

  


Everything passed by like a mirage.

Cameras were everywhere. People interviewed him. Luka got a Dallas Mavericks cap, which he felt made more sense since that was where he would end up.

Dallas, Texas. Luka had heard stories of the Mavericks, who were led by the legendary Dirk Nowitzki. In the past, they were a strong team, with Dirk winning MVP honors and leading the Mavericks to the first seed. They had even won a championship in 2011, prevailing against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the rest of the Miami Heat. However, in recent years the Mavericks had languished; Dirk was on the verge of retirement at this point in his career, and the future seemed bleak for the team.

Luka knew that they expected him to be the next savior. A daunting task, but Luka had experience winning. Ever since he was a teen, he had played in EuroLeague- and won.

A 3 time champion in the Spanish League, and an MVP to boot, in one of the most challenging divisions. One EuroLeague championship and MVP out of all the other teams in Europe. And many other awards.

And now America was about to present their own challenges in their league.

It was exciting for him; a new place to challenge his abilities and hone his skills. And the chance to play with Dirk, a legend amongst players.

As Luka left a room, someone came up to him and shook his hand. A slight young man with curly brown hair. And suit shorts.

"Congrats bro."

Luka recognized this person as Trae Young, the person who he was traded for. He smiled as they shook hands, and couldn't help but think about the suit shorts.

Not that he could judge; his suit was fine, but nothing very standout. Luka internally wished his suit could have fit better, but it could have been worse. He thought the suit shorts were a fashionably bold choice.

"You too," Luka replied. He tried to remember the film he had seen of Trae: Trae had an electric sort of energy, being able to score from range and finding the right play. Almost like Luka himself, controlling the flow of the game at will.

The rest of the night seemed almost like a dream. A very magical dream. By the time Luka got to his hotel room, he could feel the adrenaline leaving his body as fell onto the bed. 


	2. Welcome to the Mavs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luka rlly put up 43/17/13 on the Clippers huh
> 
> rip their playoffs series but the Mavs are gonna be something next season (if all goes well)

The very next day, Luka was off to Dallas.

As soon as he stepped off the plane, Luka realized Dallas was hot. Swelteringly hot.

 _I'm gonna have to figure out how to deal with this heat_ , he thought nervously.

As he got into the cab to the practice facility, Luka checked his phone for any possible new messages. One stood out to him: it was Dirk.

-Welcome to the team, Luka! I'm looking forward to playing with you!-

He smiled. It was nice to have a message from his new teammate, especially from the franchise player himself. 

Luka saw another message; this time it was from the Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban.

-Hey, great to have you on the team! You're gonna love it here, we'll take amazing care of you! Good luck!-

So far, so good. Luka could feel his nerves dissipating. He was going to meet his new teammates.

As soon as Luka stepped into the practice facility, he was greeted with a blast of air conditioning, giving him slight shivers.

"Luka!" An older man stepped out, giving him a firm handshake. "Nice to finally meet you in person."

"You too, Mr. Cu-"

"Call me Mark," he replied curtly. "We're looking forward to having you on this team, Luka. Hopefully you'll be able to make an impact as soon as you go on court."

"Thanks," Luka said apprehensively. Mark continued without much hesitation.

"I'll show you where Rick is," he paused, giving Luka a vague smile. "Your head coach."

"Oh." Luka had heard a bit about Rick Carlisle, the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks. He had a reputation for being tough on his mages, but was able to get the most out of the ones who were meant to guide the game and control the pace. This helped him win a championship, and in turn, it meant that he had a lot of leeway with the front office. Luka hoped he wouldn't get yelled at too much.

"Don't worry, he's a pretty funny guy," Mark said, not helping Luka's worries. They walked into the gym, where some other players were practicing their accuracy.

"Mark," a bald man walked towards them, giving Mark a curt nod. "And this is Luka."

Luka nodded. "You look familiar."

"Do I?" Carlisle remarked wryly. "I've been in the league a while, that could be why."

"No I don't think that's it..."

Mark laughed. "Rick gets it a lot, no need to press it."

Carlisle walked towards the other members of the team and blew a whistle, indicating for them to stop. As they huddled towards him, he gestured towards towards Luka.

"This is the newest member of our team," Carlisle said shortly. "Feel free to introduce yourself."

"Hey, hi, I'm Luka," Luka said awkwardly. He was met with blank silence and awkward nods. That is, until Dirk came in.

"Hey guys," Dirk said casually, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. He walked over to Luka and mussed up his hair. "Welcome to the team, kid."

The other teammates seemed to loosen up as Luka playfully pushed away Dirk. One guy walked forward to shake Luka.

"Hey man," he said, beaming brightly. He looked vaguely familiar, almost like someone Luka once saw playing. "I'm Dwight Powell. I think you'll really like it here."

"Thanks," Luka replied. He could still feel a lingering unease, but wasn't sure why.   
  
"No problem," Dwight replied. He leaned in. "Most of us have been on the team for a while. It'll probably take a little bit for a few people, but we're all pretty close."

"Yeah, I think our newest people are DeAndre and Jalen," another guy added. Luka recognized him from EuroLeague as Maxi Kleber, who was also German like Dirk.

"We also have our second year Dennis," Dirk added cheerfully, lightly patting the back of a quiet-looking guy who appeared to be around Luka's age. "Dennis, this is Luka."

"I know that," Dennis replied with a touch of irritation, a scowl on his face.

"Oh, uh, hi!" Luka tried for a smile and extended his hand to the irate second year. "Nice to meet you!"

Dennis stared at him blankly, before slowly and reluctantly shaking his hand.

 _Geez, what's with him?_ Luka thought. _Did I do something wrong?_

Luka could have sworn that he saw Carlisle's jaw twitch briefly, but he couldn't focus on that when he heard the sound of the practice facility door open.


	3. Welcome to the Mavs, Pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno when I'll next update this, a mix of school and inconsistent motivation drives me. :,)

Two guys that Luka didn't recognize walked through the door. One guy was noticeably taller and older, with a sheepish smile, while the other guy was quite short and had a determined expression on his face.

"Hey guys," he said cheerfully. "Sorry for being late, traffic was rough."

"Sure," Maxi replied with a hint of doubt. "You do realize we're all wealthy enough to bypass traffic."

"Shh," DeAndre said with a hint of slyness. "Oh, this is Luka?"

"Yep," Dirk stated firmly. "Or should I say EuroLeague MVP Luka Dončić? "

"Damn, that's nice!" DeAndre turned to Luka and grinned. "You're how old?"

"19," Luka said promptly. He couldn't help but feel a bit prideful at the shocked expression on some of the other players' faces, even if they already knew he was that age.

DeAndre let out a long whistle. "Damn, that's young! I mean...I was in college when I was your age, and you're out here winning MVPs in another continent!"

"Thanks." It seemed to Luka that DeAndre didn't appear to dwell on the strange tension in the room. On the other hand, he felt friendly, almost too welcoming.

"Of course," the big responded amiably. "Say, have you applied any masking on your aura?"

"I- what?"

DeAndre gestured vaguely around Luka. "Y'know... your energy?"

"Oh!" the lightbulb in Luka's head switched on. "What do you mean, I have shots taken to mask them?"

"It's gone," Dirk suddenly said. Everyone turned around to face him.

"What?" Luka asked.

"When you play in EuroLeague, they give you a serum that masks any latent energy you emit," Dirk explained to some of the players who had never gone to Europe. "It looks like the effect has worn off since you haven't taken it."

"A serum? What?" said Dennis suspiciously. 

"Dennis, in America mages usually have a spell attached to them at birth that helps to curb the energy," Carlisle explained irately. "Though eventually, once you reach a certain level of power, you learn to be able to mask the energy without any spells or serums."

Luka stared down at his hands. Could he be able to mask his energy with only sheer willpower?

"I mean, if you guys need help with that, you can always ask me," Dirk said conversationally. "Though lately it's been a bit difficult to keep it together, especially because..."

"Anyways," Carlisle interrupted curtly. "I think that's enough for today, we'll start practices tomorrow. You guys are dismissed."

 _That's it?_ Luka thought as players started shuffling away. Most people said their goodbyes as the door opened and closed.

"Hey." Luka saw DeAndre approach him. "You wanna have lunch with me and Jalen?"

"Hm? Oh, sure." He replied, shaking his head out of his daze. 

The three of them went to a restaurant near the practice facility that served pizza. There were some customers who were staring at them because of their height, but Luka was used to it.

"So... do you guys know what was up with everyone?" Luka asked as he carefully parted a slice of pizza. 

"What do you mean?" DeAndre asked.

"You know... the whole room felt so awkward. Like nobody wanted to be there."

"That's just your energy being exposed," Jalen said matter-of-factly. It was the first time Luka had heard him speak.

"Oh, uh... but why would that happen?"

"Basically, every mage has some energy within them," Jalen replied. "Some people have more energy than others, and when it's not masked people sense it. As a result, all that energy in the air makes guys nervous."

"Huh." Luka took a sip of water. "I don't think I remember learning that. Well if that's the case, shouldn't everyone be a professional and not be so nervous?"

"I guess they're not used to you," Jalen said doubtfully. "Haven't been around you long enough to get used to you. Heck, even I'm not too comfortable around you, but everyone will get used to it. Especially if the energy gets masked."

"Well, what about DeAndre then?"

"I've been around a lotta mages," DeAndre chuckled. "I don't think Dirk was too shaken up, we've been around a while so we can keep our composure better."

"That... makes sense," Luka stated. "So uh... Jalen, right? How long have you been in the NBA?"

Jalen stared at him blankly. "I'm a rookie."

"Wait-" Luka remembered what Maxi said, that he was new to them. "Oh."

"Yeah," Jalen said simply. "I'm the other draftee this year."

 _Right,_ Luka thought. _He's the second-rounder... why didn't I know that._

There was a moment of silence as the three of them ate pizza. It was strangely comforting to Luka, knowing that he at least had some acquaintances.

"So how long have you been in Texas?" DeAndre finally said to break the silence.

"Um, since yesterday," Luka admitted.

"Great, we're going to take a trip around Dallas today then!"

Huh... a trip around the city...

He liked the sound of that.


	4. Exploring Dallas and Strange Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized I haven't updated in a while but alas

It was another day of touring Dallas.

While Luka did have experience dealing with the summer heat in his homeplace of Ljubljana, Dallas felt like a whole different level. The heat was more blistering, and he questioned what he would do without air conditioning. Dallas was also much larger, with more people than Ljubljana, and the sheer amount of people Luka encountered was enough to make him nervous.

Luckily, his teammates on the tour seemed alright. Luka and Maxi talked about their shared experiences playing in EuroLeague, and DeAndre was a generally amiable person, so most of the conversation wasn't awkward.

However, Jalen seemed to be more reserved, not saying much and maintaining a stiff composure throughout the tour.

 _Is he okay?_ Luka wondered. He decided to ask.

"Hey, Jalen," he began awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Uhm, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," Jalen replied curtly. His tone didn't seem to leave much for elaboration.

"Oh." Luka looked around in an attempt to find something to talk about. "So... what do you think about Dallas?"

"Well, as they all say, everything's bigger in Texas," Jalen finally replied, staring into the distance.

"I didn't really notice that."

"Of course you wouldn't, you're taller than me. Those things wouldn't be as obvious." He turned. "I guess one thing would be the weather. Villanova doesn't quite have the heat."

"Villanova?"

"Yeah. That's the place I went to school at, which is also called Villanova."

"Where is that?"

"It's in Pennsylvania, which is in the northeastern part of America."

"Oh. What was Villanova like?"

Jalen smiled a bit. "It was a great place. Stayed there for three years. Last year I won the national championship. Even won the National College Player of the Year Award. I guess I kinda thought that I could've had my draft stock be better, since I did well in college, but I went to the second round."

"Don't worry about it!" DeAndre exclaimed. "I also got drafted in the second round!"

"And I was undrafted!" Maxi chimed in.

_Aaaand... now I feel bad._

Luka knew he was gifted. He was used to being the best player on a team, usually with everyone else being older or cast off from other leagues. Even though he knew he was going to a bad team, it was still a bit jarring to hear players in the NBA coming from various paths to the roster. Then again, talent came from anywhere, so who was he to judge?

He suddenly was struck with a sharp pain in the back of his head, like a hot iron had been stabbed.

"Shit," Luka muttered, grasping his head.

"You good?" DeAndre asked, reaching over to him. "What happened?"

"Feels like someone is trying to get into my head," Luka replied. 

"Let me try something," the center said as he put a hand on Luka's forehead. Suddenly, he could hear DeAndre in his head.

 _Can you hear me?_ DeAndre's voice echoed.

 _Yes,_ Luka thought. 

_Okay._

For a moment, he wondered if DeAndre could see any of his deeper thoughts, before realizing he had kept them guarded fairly well, and his mind became calm.

 _I don't see anything,_ Jordan's thought echoed in his head. _Wait-_

There was a shock of red-hot pain as something was grabbed, before quickly subsiding.

_What happened?_

"It looks like someone tried to take something from you." The center had slipped out of Luka's mental space. "They gave off a vaguely familiar imprint."

"Really?"

"It looks like..." Jalen leaned over. "It says Divac?"

"Divac..." The surname felt familiar, but Luka couldn't quite place it. He would have to think about it some more.

-.-

After some time outside, Luka crashed onto his bed and began to fall asleep.

He found himself in a room, a room that looked cushy. It definitely wasn't Barclays, but it felt familiar. The room was moderately lit, with rows of chairs lined up with each other. There was a special stand where it seemed like commentators were talking.

 _Where... am I?_ He thought, looking around.

Luka saw a person walk right through him without hesitation, as though he didn't exist.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, but nobody even turned to look at him. He finally figured that all he could do was watch.

Everyone was formally dressed, wearing suits of various colors as they sat down. Luka turned and saw who he recognized as the former commissioner of the NBA, David Stern. Compared to Silver, Stern was rather short and stocky, and here he was shuffling to his podium to prepare for something.

 _Okay, so this is something basketball-related_ , Luka thought, looking around at the room. There was a lingering sense of unease despite Luka knowing that everything in his view was all an illusion. It was vaguely familiar, but what was it?

"Thank you all for coming," David Stern said, causing Luka to turn around and look in the direction of the former commissioner. He had started talking about the draft, and the Olympics, which was all very bizarre. The Olympics were two years ago, so he wasn't sure where all this fit on the timeline. Something about exhibition games... those sounded fun. He remembered playing in one against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Real Madrid a few years ago, though he hadn't received much playing time.

"The first selection will be made by Houston," Stern announced. Sounds were buzzing throughout the room as the Rockets had to send in their pick. 

...Houston with the first overall pick and a superstar center... 2002? But it didn't feel like 2002. Even though Luka was only 2 or 3 years old then, it felt different. It was probably how people were dressed that threw him off.

Stern cleared his throat. "The Houston Rockets select Akeem Olajuwon, from the University of Texas!"

Applause soared as a tall man in a suit got up to walk over to the commissioner's spot.

It was undoubtedly a happy moment, but Luka only had one question.

_Why am I in 1984?_

He recognized this draft, based on the first pick. It was one of the most famed draft classes from his knowledge, and even his non-American self knew about Olajuwon.

He watched as the other people in the draft were called: Sam Bowie, a center from Kentucky, was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wait a minute. Sam Bowie?? He recognized the name Olajuwon, but not Bowie.

And if this was 1984, he had a feeling what would happen next...

"The Chicago Bulls pick Michael Jordan, from the University of North Carolina!"

It was like a cannonball plunging through his chest, seeing Michael Jordan get up to shake the hand of David Stern. 

Hindsight was powerful, indeed.

Luka knew what happened after this. Six championships with the Bulls, a dynasty for Jordan, and even Hakeem would have his moments as a champion.

He wondered what would've happened if Portland had chosen Jordan instead of Bowie.

That thought was interrupted by a stocky man slightly shorter than him almost knocking into him.

"The hell are you doing?" the man said aggressively. "Move, I gotta go up the podium."

"No way." Luka stared at the man. "Charles Barkley?"

"Chuck, what're you doing, go shake the man's hand!" Someone else exclaimed. "What're you, talking to a ghost?"

Barkley sighed and shook his head. "I dunno who you are, kid, but I gotta go. Time for my life to change."

"How come you can see me?"

"I dunno, but I don't think I've ever seen you before."

Luka hesitated. "I'm from the future. I think this is just a vision."

"You're from the future? Tell me what happens to me."

"You'll have a very successful career," Luka finally replied, patting the man on the back. "You'll be a Hall of Famer."

"Thanks, kiddo," Barkley gave him a wave as he walked away. "Well, whoever you are, good luck in the future."

 _You're barely older than me,_ Luka thought as he watched the future Hall of Famer shake David Stern's hand. 

He wasn't sure how exactly Charles Barkley was able to see him, but he couldn't ponder that before his sight went black...

and then everything was blue.

 _Wonder if I accidentally took something... this is strange,_ he wondered, staring at the seemingly endless expanse of blue. Since it was just a dream, he moved fine.

Luka had dreams, like most people. Nothing quite as surreal as this, though. 

"Hey," a neutral voice reverberated in his thoughts. 

"Who is this?" Luka asked.

"You don't need to know," the voice cut in. "Look, I kind of need your help to get out of this situation, you'll be able to find me at-"

There was a sudden interruption and Luka opened his eyes to find himself in his room, his forehead dotted with sweat.

It had all felt so real, seeing things from 35 years ago play out like that. Luka let out a deep breath and shook his head. He didn't know who had spoken to him in the second part of the dream, just that they needed his help.

But for what?

Dreams were always generated from the subconscious of someone's thoughts. If a dream was more like a vision, then someone else had sent it to them, for whatever reason.

Someone talking to him... that would mean they were in danger.

Luka finally got himself out of bed and washed his face. He would have to figure out what all of these things meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I've been kind of winging this entire thing. :,)
> 
> Feel free to leave any comments!


End file.
